Health News

Health News for 01/19/12

January 19, 2012

Health Tip: Set an Exercise Schedule

Adhering to an exercise routine can be a challenge, but creating a schedule can help you stay on track.

Health Tip: Stick With Your Healthy New Year's Resolutions

People who make New Year's resolutions often have the best of intentions, though these goals frequently slide.

Stroke Patients With Delirium Have Worse Prognosis

Up to 30 percent of stroke patients develop delirium shortly after hospitalization and these patients fare worse than those without delirium, a new study finds.

Kidney Failure Patients Prone to GI Tract Bleeding

Many kidney failure patients experience bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a problem that can cause serious health problems and even early death, a new study shows.

Hungry Families Admit to 'Formula Stretching '

Some families that can't afford enough infant formula resort to risky "formula stretching," watering down infant formula or skipping feedings, researchers say.

U.S. Military Women Exposed to More Combat Than Ever Before

Female American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been involved in more combat than in prior wars and have the same post-traumatic stress disorder rate as men, a new study has found.

Antidepressants Might Raise Fall Risk in Nursing Homes

Antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with an increased risk of falls in nursing home residents with dementia, a new study finds.

Repeat Scans Urged for Head Injury When Blood Thinners Involved

People taking blood thinners who suffer a minor head injury should undergo repeat CT scans, researchers say.

Alcohol OK in Housing for Formerly Homeless, Study Says

Allowing homeless people who are heavy drinkers to consume alcohol when they were provided with housing actually decreased their heavy drinking by more than one-third over two years, a new study has found.

Narrowed Artery Condition Often Goes Undiagnosed: Study

Millions of Americans have an undiagnosed artery disorder that can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and aneurysms, a new study reveals.

Poorer Folks May Find It Harder to Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is much more difficult for poor people than for those who have greater financial and social status, U.S. researchers have found.

1 in 5 U.S. Adults Suffers Mental Ills: Report

Nearly 46 million American adults have had a mental illness in the past year, a new government report shows.

Can Coffee Really Thwart Type 2 Diabetes?

Your morning "cup of Joe" may do more than deliver the jolt you need to get going -- it may also help you stave off type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

Study Hints That Statins Might Fight Breast Cancer

Amid hints that statins -- cholesterol-lowering drugs -- might also play a role in preventing or treating certain types of cancer, new research sheds some light on how these drugs may help stop breast cancer in its tracks among certain women.

Sex OK for Many Heart Patients, Docs Say

Sexual activity generally isn't hazardous for people with cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association says in a new statement.

Bipolar Drug May Spur Weight Gain, Thyroid Problems: Review

A new medical review finds that lithium, a common treatment for bipolar disorder, can lead to weight gain and causes high rates of abnormalities in the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

More Americans Practicing Safe Sex, CDC Reports

The number of Americans who practice behaviors that put them at risk for HIV infection has declined significantly, federal health officials reported Thursday.

Health Highlights: Jan. 19, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

More Than Half of Teens Who Gave Birth Weren't Using Contraception: CDC

Slightly more than half of U.S. teenaged girls who had a child between 2004 and 2008 did not use birth control, and a third didn't think they could get pregnant at the time, a new government study finds.